Leadership announcement

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to share that I have named Chris Kabourek as our next senior vice president for administration and planning. He will begin his tenure with us on November 1, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

Chris comes to Ohio State after 27 years at the University of Nebraska, where he served as interim president following my departure last year in addition to his role as chief financial officer. 

I worked closely with Chris during my time as president of the Nebraska system and can speak to his considerable skill set, professionalism and collegial approach to our work in higher education. His areas of expertise include facilities and capital planning, accounting, budgeting, procurement, human resources and – equally important – a deep appreciation for their connection to our teaching, research, and service and patient care missions.

Among his many achievements, Chris was the chief architect of Nebraska’s deferred maintenance strategy, which is addressing $800 million in facility needs and positioning the university to become self-sustaining in maintaining its buildings. He also provided leadership on strategic planning efforts, business functions in information technology, legislative and capital budget requests, and scholarship and financial aid initiatives. I know you join me in welcoming him to our exceptional Buckeye community.

In conjunction with this transition, we are taking the opportunity to merge the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) with the Office of Administration and Planning (A&P). In his new role, Chris will assume the responsibilities for A&P functions as well as oversee those of OTDI. This restructuring will move OTDI from its current home in the Office of Academic Affairs, which will work closely with the OTDI team on decisions related to information technology support for our academic needs. We will continue to seek a new vice president and chief information officer within OTDI, and Chris will help to lead that search as one of his initial priorities.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Mark Conselyea for his service as our interim senior vice president for administration and planning. We are fortunate that Mark will continue to serve as vice president of facilities operations and development while informing this important transition.

 This is an exciting time for Ohio State, and A&P is a key player as we all work together to build a strategic vision for our future. Thank you for the work you do every day for the Buckeye community, and please join me in thanking Mark and welcoming Chris and his family to Columbus and Ohio State.

Ted

Ted Carter
President